After crushing Sri Lanka in a home series, South Africa is set to take on Pakistan after 14 years in their homeland and then they will host Australia later in February and March.
South Africa will play a two-match Test series, 1st of which will be played in Karachi starting on January 26, followed by the three T20Is from February 11 to 14.
Although the fixtures and venues for the Australia series are yet to be confirmed, provisional dates have the first Test scheduled to start on February 18.
However, with only four days' time period in between the start of the home series against Australia and the Pakistan tour ends, the South Africa board has decided to give some new faces a chance to play in the T20Is, while the established bunch comes back home to prepare for Australia.
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They have selected a much-changed squad for their three-match Twenty20 series in Pakistan to allow members of the test side to prepare for a home series against Australia.
With the likes of some key players like Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Anrich Nortje, returning home after the two-match test series.
The wicket-keeper batsman Heinrich Klaasen has been named the captain of this new-look side, with uncapped seamer Okuhle Cele, wicketkeeper Ryan Rickleton and batsman Jacques Snyman all included in the squad.
South Africa director of cricket, Graeme Smith, said that we did some out-of-the-box thinking to ensure that we are fully prepared for the home series against Australia.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled sporting bodies to find innovative ways of ensuring tours and sporting events take place as planned or with as little disruption to revised plans as possible. We are not exempt from that, and have had to do a bit of outside-of-the-box thinking to ensure that we are fully prepared for a home test tour against Australia while having an exciting T20 series to complete in Pakistan," said Graeme Smith.
South Africa squad for T20Is vs Pakistan:
Heinrich Klaasen (captain), Nandre Burger, Okuhle Cele, Junior Dala, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, George Linde, Janneman Malan, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Ryan Rickleton, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lutho Sipamla, Jon-Jon Smuts, Pite van Biljon, Glenton Stuurman, Jacques Snyman
(Reuters Inputs)
